OpenROV: A UMS for Everyone!

OpenROV is an open-sourced remotely operated miniature submarine aimed at making underwater exploration and education cheap and accessible to everyone.  The developers behind the project are do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiasts Eric Stackpole, David Lang, and Matteo Borri.  The project was introduced on the Kickstarter website in 2012 in an effort to raise $20,000.  The project exceeded its Kickstarter funding goal by $91,622, and in 2013 ended its funding campaigns with over $1.3 million.  It was not until late 2013 that OpenROV v2.6 began to take orders on the OpenROV website.  It is expected that OpenROV v2.7 will become available in 2015.  

OpenRov

OpenROV is not the next generation of military UMS.  It does not use state of the art sensors, processors, or navigation systems.  It does not reach incredible depths nor does it maneuver at high speeds.  However, OpenROV is inexpensive.  The OpenROV Kit currently retails for $849.  It is easily obtainable by educational institutions and individuals with an interest in exploring.

OpenROV v2.6 is small, with dimensions of 15cm x 20cm x 30cm.  Eight C batteries provide approximately 1.5 hours of runtime.  The onboard processor is a low power, open-sourced, Linux based, BeagleBone Black.  It connects to a standard PC via a 100 meter tether cable.  It has an onboard high definition wide-angle camera with a tilt function, and LED lighting for low-light environments.      

            OpenROV represents the future of UMS because its low price significantly reduces the barrier to entry for underwater exploration.  The exploration of underwater environments is no longer limited to governments, large corporations, or researchers with large grants.  The OpenROV website has dozens of examples of how the platform is employed all over the world.  A middle school class in Hawaii purchased an OpenROV to study coral health after hurricanes.  A concerned citizen in Seattle used an OpenROV to help show that the city was dumping millions of gallons of untreated sewage and storm water into the cities waterways.  The city of Sydney, Australia hosted an open lab/hackerspace to innovate OpenROV solutions in the protection of marine life.  Portugal used an OpenROV to conduct a study of biological invasions by non-indigenous species.  The uses for OpenROV are endless.

            The open-sourced community allows OpenROV users and developers to share code, ideas, and answer technical questions.  Modifications are commonplace in the open source community.  The BeagleBone Black contains 2 x 46 pin headers, which allow the connection of third party digital sensors.  Code found in the OpenROV online repositories can bring third party sensors to life, or they can provide insight for users to do their own programming.  Further, 3D printing has been used in physical modifications.  Modifications allow the platform to operate outside of its initial design.

           

OpenRov Breakdown

OpenROV can interface with a computer by way of a LAN connection and a modern web browser.  Once the OpenROV is connected to a computer via LAN cable, its IP address is entered into a web browser and connectivity is achieved.  The operating system of the computer is not a factor, meaning it can be Windows, Linux, OSX, or anything else.  Users may choose to configure video game style controllers for easy operation.

            OpenROV gives tinkerers a platform to inexpensively experiment and solve underwater problems.  The lessons learned from OpenROV might one day be able to provide cost saving insight into the development of more expensive military UMS.  I believe that opening UMS to everyone is the future of UMS technology.    

References

Chung, Philip (2014).  OpenROV.  [ONLINE]  Available at: 

http://scinipenguin.mlml.calstate.edu/?p=938.  [Last Accessed 07 November 2014].

OpenROV (2014). Underwater Exploration Robots. [ONLINE] Available at: 

http://www.openrov.com/.  [Last Accessed 07 November 2014].